Is service leadership the real fly in the soup?

Sobey School of Business

Is customer service affected by the way supervisors treat employees? Dr. Kevin Kelloway led a team of researchers who surveyed service employees and their customers. Their research was based on the idea that servers' interactions with customers are affected by their interactions with their supervisors. The research demonstrated a concept called the "service profit chain." If servers had a good leader and felt inspired and empowered by that leader, the quality of service they offered customers was higher. The takeaway for leaders in the service industry: leadership matters. Invest in your supervisors and leaders to ensure the best quality customer service. After all, better customer service helps boost customer loyalty, share of wallet and profits.

Retail Insights research conducted for the David Sobey Centre for Innovation in Retailing and Services.